Salah Mejri Signs with Mavericks, Becomes 1st Player of Tunisian Descent in NBA
DeAndre Jordan's decision to ultimately re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers left the Dallas Mavericks with a massive hole at center. Having already traded for Zaza Pachulia, Dallas further bolstered its depth at the 5 by signing Salah Mejri, who becomes the first Tunisian player in NBA history.
The team confirmed the move Thursday, per Bobby Karalla of Mavs.com. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, Mejri agreed to a three-year partially guaranteed deal.
The 29-year-old last played for Real Madrid, where he averaged 4.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks a night in 42 games. He played three games for the Utah Jazz in the 2012 NBA Summer League. He scored 10 total points and recorded 10 rebounds in his 33 minutes on the court.
Karalla highlighted how good Mejri is on the pick-and-roll, which Tyson Chandler demonstrated can be a great skill to possess in head coach Rick Carlisle's offense:
This is the second landmark personnel move Dallas has made this summer. The Mavs selected Satnam Singh with the 52nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, making him the first Indian player ever taken in the draft.
Unless the Mavericks sign another veteran backup big man, Mejri should have ample opportunity to contribute to Dallas next year. The team doesn't have many options beyond Pachulia, with Dwight Powell listed as the backup.
With his experience in the pick-and-roll, Mejri could emerge as a strong situational center off the bench for the Mavs.
